Park City wins 2019 World Championships

Three resorts to team up for freestyle and snowboarding events

Maddie Bowman performs a trick in the halfpipe at PCMR during the Freeskiing Grand Prix in January. Park Record File Photo

The 2019 winter season is already shaping up to be a busy one in Park City.

In addition to the usual events like Deer Valley's Freestyle World Cup, Park City Mountain Resort's Freeskiing Grand Prix and Canyons' ski and snowboardcross U.S. Grand Prix, the 2019 season will see the three resorts team up for the 2019 Freestyle, Freeskiing and Snowboarding World Championships.

On Thursday, the FIS council awarded the events to Park City at a meeting in Barcelona, Spain. There will be at least 12 competitions over the course of 10 days in February 2019.

In a USSA press release, FIS president Gian Franco Kasper said choosing Park City made a lot of sense.

"The USA has a rich tradition in freestyle skiing and snowboarding and it seems only fitting that we go to Park City for the FIS 2019 Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding World Championships," he said. "I am certain USA and Utah will do an excellent job welcoming the athletes, teams, media and fans to what is sure to be an exciting event with an electric atmosphere."

Deer Valley will host the moguls and aerials freestyle competitions, PCMR will offer up its slopestyle and halfpipe terrain and Canyons will provide the course for skicross and snowboardcross.

Deer Valley communications manager Emily Summers said that after hosting both the 2003 and 2011 Freestyle World Championships, the resort has plenty of experience hosting big events.

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"We were the first North American resort to host World Championships twice," she said. "Now that we've gotten it a third time and can help make it a town-wide event, it should be special."

"With our wealth of knowledge and experience in hosting FIS events, it only made sense for us to readily agree to participate in the 2019 World Championships," Bob Wheaton, president and general manager of Deer Valley, said in the USSA release. "We continue to build upon our legacy, dedicated to advancing the sport and delivering quality competitions enjoyed and appreciated by both athletes and spectators."

Canyons Vice President and General Manager Mike Goar said the resort is ready to get back to hosting world-class events after a scheduling conflict with the Olympics caused the skicross and boardercross Grand Prix event to be canceled.

"Past experience in providing the world's best athletes with a superior venue has situated Canyons to participate in this historic event," he said in the USSA press release. "We maintain a strong passion for sport and dedication to showcasing Canyons to the world while delivering an elite event."

"Being a part of the hosting group, alongside the two other resorts, the Park City community and the state of Utah is a great honor," added senior manager of communications Margo Christiansen. "We're looking forward to it. Bringing World Championships to Park City and Canyons is a great opportunity."

PCMR president and general manager Jenni Smith said PCMR is excited to be able to showcase its terrain parks and halfpipe to the world.

"As a hub for action sports progression, known for some of the industry's finest terrain parks and halfpipes, we are the perfect host venue for the world's greatest snowboard and freeski athletes in 2019," she said. "We have hosted the world for Olympic, World Championship and USSA Grand Prix competitions, and look forward to doing so again with our fellow Park City resorts when the world's best freestyle skiers and snowboarders return for the 2019 World Championships."

PCMR communications manager Andy Miller said the events will mark the highest-profile competition in 17 years.

"It'll certainly be the biggest sporting event we've hosted here in town since the 2002 Olympic Games," he said.

By teaming up with the other two Park City resorts, Summers said the 2019 events will be ones to remember.

"There aren't many ski areas that can do this," she said. "It speaks to everything we want Park City to be known for. There's a town that supports these three resorts. To be able to spread the competitions among us, it's a lot easier to host these events and do them right."

"It'll be a really special atmosphere," Miller added. "It'll showcase everything Park City has to offer and everything the three resorts have to offer with their different strengths and different personas."

Though the events are still five years away, Summers said there's no time to waste when beginning to plan for the World Championships.